Sale Sharks secured a 26-25 victory over relegation rivals London Welsh to boost their hopes of Premiership survival.

A dramatic finale saw Sale sneak home by a point as the lead changed hands four times. The result leaves the Sharks one point behind 11th-placed London Irish and three in arrears of Welsh.

Wing Phil Mackenzie got the Exiles' only try, with scrum-half Alex Davies kicking four penalties and fly-half Gavin Henson adding two penalties and a conversion. Sale's points came via tries from scrum-half Will Cliff and flanker Daniel Braid with fly-half Danny Cipriani landing three penalties and two conversions and Nick Macleod one penalty.

London Welsh came into the game desperate to erase a run of 10 defeats in 11 matches, with their last victory at home to fellow strugglers London Irish on December 1. So Sale's three consecutive victories, including a lifeline 21-16 win at home to Exeter last week, probably put the Sharks as pre-game favourites.

One square-up that added extra spice to the game was at fly-half where former Wales star back Henson was opposite ex-England ace Cipriani. It was Cipriani, who won the last of his caps in 2008, that turned on the style to put Sale in front at the break with his boot and a vital contribution to the first try.

The Sharks fly-half booted his first penalty from 25 metres after Welsh were accused of illegally wheeling a scrum before Davies returned the compliment to level the game. As the half wore on, Welsh got their act together with the pack, particularly the front-row of Franck Montanella, Neil Briggs and Paulica Ion, finding space for some telling runs.

The pressure forced Sale to give away kickable penalties which Davies gratefully received from short range and Henson hammering over a 50-yarder on 32 minutes. It put Welsh 12-3 ahead but they went into the interval a point behind. Cipriani landed another penalty with six minutes to go and then started a great move for Cliff's touchdown.

Sale turned a Welsh attack over in their half that gave Cipriani the chance to race downfield. He linked with wing Charlie Amesbury before receiving the ball again on the Exiles' 22, making ground before laying off the score that he also converted to his colleague. It was a sucker punch to Welsh but great opportunism from the Sharks that gave them the chance to build in the second-half.

But the 10 minutes after the break was manic as Sale opened up an eight-point gap on Welsh before the Exiles clawed that back and some more. Fullback Cameron Shepherd sent Baird over for a Cipriani-converted touchdown for the Sharks, but Davies landed his fourth penalty to reduce those arrears to five points.

Then a lovely ball from Henson inside the visiting 22 sent wing MacKenzie over from 15 metres, with the conversion and a further penalty by the Welshman giving the Londoners a five-point cushion. But Sale would not lay down and Cipriani's third penalty brought the Sharks back within striking distance.

Welsh almost got over again when hooker Neil Briggs went over under a pile of bodies but referee JP Doyle was unsighted and, with no television match official to judge, he called a scrum five. That proved a crucial decision for Welsh as Nick Macleod, who had come on for Cipriani, booted a penalty from in front of the posts and, despite a desperate finish from the Exiles, Sale held on.

Sale boss Steve Diamond was not getting carried away with the result following the game. He said: "We are still bottom of the league as we sit here tonight and we have Harlequins and Leicester to come in the next fortnight. We have got a job on our hands and we are by no means out of the mire.

"We have just got to keep training and getting points because I don't think any side that has been bottom of the league at Christmas has stayed up. Now we have beaten Exeter by a couple of points and London Welsh by a point. If we can continue to do that in three or four games (to the end of the season), we will survive by the skin of our teeth."

His London Welsh counterpart Lyn Jones said: "I said before the game that this would go right to the wire and I firmly believe so. Today we were on the wrong end of a one pointer and the game could have gone either way. We didn't take our opportunities when they arose but we picked up a bonus point that takes us a step closer to Worcester (who are ninth)."